World court orders Israel to unblock Gaza food aid, as famine lurks

UNITED NATIONS: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to allow unimpeded access of food aid into Gaza, where sections of the Palestinian population are facing imminent starvation, in a significant legal rebuke to Tel Aviv’s claim it is not blocking aid deliveries.

The Hague-based court issued the new order in response to a recent request made by South Africa, which submitted a case in December accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, based on its continuing offensive against Gaza.

A panel of judges at the court issued the ruling after an emergency measure in January obliging Israel to admit emergency aid.

The judges, who were unanimous in their decision, said Palestinians in Gaza were facing worsening conditions of life, and famine and starvation were spreading. “The court observes that Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine … but that famine is setting in,” the judges said.

In its legally binding order, the court told Israel to take “all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

Since OCT 7, more than 32,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed by Israeli strikes and attacks, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry.

The ICJ provisional measures state that Israel, “in view of the worsening conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza, in particular the spread of famine and starvation”, shall take “all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza”.

The measures outline that the required aid includes food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care.

The fresh ICJ order also calls on Israel, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, to undertake those measures, “including by increasing the capacity and number of land crossing points and maintaining them open for as long as necessary”.

Additional measures call for Israel to ensure “with immediate effect that its military does not commit acts which constitute a violation of any of the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza as a protected group” under the Genocide Convention.

This includes “by preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance”, according to the ICJ.

The court also decided that Israel shall submit a report to the ICJ on all measures within one month.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reminded journalists at his daily briefing that the ICJ operates independently.

“We do believe as a matter of principle that all Member States abide by decisions of the court,” he said.

The ICJ was established by the UN Charter as the principal judicial organ of the UN.